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Body found, no foul play suspected

Cloquet police say the body of a 33-year-old man was discovered in a wooded area near South Laurel and South Oak streets on the evening of Feb. 13. News of the discovery became public on the Pine Journal’s website last Thursday, Feb. 16, and Cloquet Police Chief Steve Stracek identified the man as Darryk Nicholas Martineau Friday morning.

Three elementary-school-aged boys discovered Martineau's body; however, they did not approach him because they initially thought he was still alive and possibly intoxicated, Stracek said. They told a nearby homeowner, who investigated and discovered the man was deceased. The boys had been out searching for a lost dog when they discovered Martineau.

Stracek said there was no sign of foul play and the preliminary autopsy report last week came back with no indications of any kind of assault. They are still awaiting toxicology results — it could be months he said before final results are known, he said — and the investigation is still open.

“At this point it appears he was by himself,” Stracek said. “We followed his single set of footprints [in the snow] for quite a distance.”

Stracek added they think the man’s body was only there for one or two days, based on the condition of the body and the weather.

Stracek said they aren’t ruling anything out yet, but his best guess is that Martineau died of natural causes.

“It’s an unusual case, but I wouldn’t call it suspicious,” Stracek said.

A traditional wake and funeral services were held for Martineau Feb. 17-18 at the Sawyer Center in Sawyer, with burial at the Sawyer cemetery.